"Google's Chromebook was dismissed as a bare-bones laptop with limited appeal when it debuted two years ago. Now it's defying skeptics and gaining share as the rest of the personal-computer market shrinks. Chromebooks have in just the past eight months snagged 20 percent to 25 percent of the U.S. market for laptops that cost less than $300, according to NPD Group Inc. The devices, which have a full keyboard and get regular software updates from Google, are the fastest-growing part of the PC industry based on price, NPD said."